The NAMIBIA ANNUAL CONFERENCE Millennium Session met at Bethel Memorial AME
Church, Luderitz with Bishop G G M Ingram presiding.
Very blessed 5 days we
spent together (tesame).
The Episcopal Address of our prelate emphasized
"team" spirit (tesame in Afrikaans). And our Episcopal theme for
this quadrennium was revealed as "Called to make a difference".
The
Annual Sermon was delivered by the Rev. Andreas Biwa, Presiding Elder (member
of the 2000 Episcopal Committee).
Since I was asked to assist Rev. Dr.
Wilfredt Messiah who had his car broken and stranded in the desert, I missed
on the annual sermon.
The sermons preached at this conference were very
blessed and inspiring, and were delivered as follows: Rev. Andreas Biwa, PE -
Annual Sermon Rev. Hendrik /Gariseb - Educational Sermon Rev. Paul Fredericks,
PE - Emmaus Walk Rev. William A Balie, PE - Missionary Sermon Rev. Adam /Gariseb,
PE - Memoirs Sermon
Hundreds were touched by the sermons and many offered
their lives to Jesus Christ. It was a time for witness and renewal, and the
music was very outstanding.
The conference lifted in prayers the following
members who did not attend due to illness: Rev. E S Tjirimuje - superannuated
preacher Rev. A Van der Westhuizen - superannuated preacher Rev. Michael Haman
- active, but spouse in ICU at Windhoek hospital Rev. Dr. Hendrik Witbooi, PE
and Administrative Assistant, also the Namibian Deputy Prime Minister who has
undergone a bypass operation a month ago in South Africa.
We memorialized the lives of the following deceased: * Mother Edith W Ming,
former supervisor of the 15th Episcopal District, and * Rev. Albert E Koopman,
Presiding Elder Emeritus
All the offerings almost doubled and all pastoral reports were 100%, and
our lay delegates were given opportunities to give verbal testimony on what is
happening at local levels.
The reports of the different auxiliaries reflected
growth, and the literary reports (including a report from the General
Conference delagtion) was outstanding.
One candidate (Rev. Jonas !Nakhom) was
ordained an Itinerant Elder and the Rev. Andrew B Lewin delivered the
Ordination Sermon from the theme: "You have asked for a difficult
thing".
The Youth concluded the week's hard work with a very dynamic
Musical Extravaganza the Saturday evening.
On Sunday morning the Closing Worship Service was shifted from the church
to the German Hall, and the attendance did not disappoint as more than 300
people gathered from far and near to hear their bishop's 1st Conference
Commissioning Sermon, and also to see who is appointed to their churches!
Bishop Ingram fed and carried the responding masses on the theme "stretch
out" taken from Mark 3:1-5. The people stood on their feet and their
amen's and hallelujah's also inspired the preacher who stripped of himself and
was carried away by the Holy Spirit.
Certification: Dean - Board of Examiners
- Rev. A E Biwa Ass Dean - Board of Examiners - Rev. D Schmidt Christian
Education Director - Rev. W S Hanse Church School Supt. - Sister V Isaack ACE
Fellowship President - Brother J A Gertze RAYC President - Brother G R Biwa
WMS President - Mrs. K E /Goagoseb YPD Director - Ms H J Josob YPD President -
Brother P E Hanse
Appointments were as follows: 1. Windhoek District: Rev. William A Balie,
PE (retained) Ebenezer AME Church - Rev. A E Biwa (transfer) Purity AME Church
- Rev. W S Hanse (transfer) St. Andrews AME Church - Rev. D Schmidt (transfer)
HBS Metropolitan AME Church - Rev. C Katuamba (retained) St. Johns AME Church
- Rev. W A Balie, PE Richard Allen AME Church - Vacant St. Bartholomew AME
Church - Rev. H Isaak Mt. Nebo AME Church - Rev. J V Helu M Young AME Church -
Rev. C Katuamba
2. Hoachanas District - Rev. A /Gariseb, PE (transfer) Immanuel AME Church
- Rev. P S M Kooper Hoachanast Oos AME Church - Rev. J Rooinasie D Dausab AME
Church - Rev. E Goeieman Bethel AME Church - Rev. J !Nakhom Shiloh AME Church
- Rev. J !Nakhom
3. Gibeon District - Rev. H /Gariseb (new, acting for Dr. H Witbooi) St.
James AME Church - Rev. H Schmidt St. Mark's AME Church - Rev. W M Hanse St.
Peter's AME Church - Rev. A /Gariseb, PE Bethesda AME Church - Vacant Moriah
AME Church - Rev. J J Schmidt
4. Keetmanshoop District - Rev. A Biwa, PE (retained) Z T Trinity AME
Church - Rev. H /Gariseb St. Nicholas AME Church - Rev. C P Hill A E Koopman
AME Church - Vacant Robinson AME Church - Vacant Ebenezer AME Church - Thomas
AME Church - Vacant
5. Luderitz District - Rev. Paul Fredericks (transfer) Bethel Memorial AME
Church - Rev. N J Simon Zion AME Church - Rev. N J Simon C Fredericks AME
church - Rev. P Fredericks Kosis AME Church - Vacant Elim AME Church - Rev. H
D Kahoy Kutenhoas AME Church - Rev. M Haman
My Personal Comments: The Namibia Annual Conference has about 6 deacons and
elders in local relations, doing an outstanding job at places under very harsh
conditions. These men and women are side- stepped during appointments because
our rules apparently forbids them to receive an appointment from the hand of
the Presiding Bishop, yet they are required of to report to the Presiding
Bishop at conference.
Many of the churches categorized as vacant are being
pastored by ministers in local relations. Can someone tell me which rule(s) in
the AME Discipline clearly and explicitly forbids them to receive an
appointment from the bishop. I am not talking about ministerial staff settings
in the USA where you have enough ministers, but I am talking about ministers
doing missionary work under severe and harsh conditions in Africa and who do
this not for financial gain (for no minister in Namibia earns salaries and we
are not part of any connectional AMWE benefits), but they do this because they
love the Lord and love the church of Richard Allen.
The Millennium Session of the Namibia Annual Conference Trustees and the
bishop blessed many individuals and churches with financial assistance. Truly,
the Church is moving on. The bishop pronounced the benediction after an 5 hour
closing service, met with 2 committees and many more people before returning
to the Episcopal Residence in Cape Town, South Africa by car a distance of
about 1300 kilometres. I think he only arrived the next morning having
travelled throughout the night, and now has a unique story to testify. We
thank the pastor and people of bethel Memorial AME Church for the truly
Namibian hospitality, for having left no stone unturned for our convenience.
The 2001 Session of the Namibia Annual Conference is to be hosted by the
PURITY AME CHURCH in the Namibian capital, Windhoek and we are inviting all
AME's all accross the connection to come and experience the Namibian AME
Spirit. God bless you.
-- Rev. Willem Simon Hanse (hansews@lineone.net),
September 23, 2000.
